We Are Not Her
by TwinklingCupcake
Summary: [Honeycomb AU] After an Akuma attack, Sabrina isn't doing so well. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I messed up..."


Ladybug landed on her balcony and made for the door as fast as she could. She was dimly aware of the person behind her, but she had no time to stop or turn around...That could come later.

In about five seconds, to be exact.

The door opened and Ladybug gracefully leaped into her room, and not a moment too soon. In a flash of red, her transformation dropped, and Tikki hovered anxiously in front of her, her blue eyes looking over Marinette's shoulder at the second party.

Honeycomb was less graceful, stumbling as she came in before falling to her knees and hanging her head. Her loose fists rose to cover her face as she sobbed apology after apology, ignorant of her own transformation dropping.

Her kwami, Hanii, hovered by her ear, murmuring reassurances. "Sabrina, it's alright. You did nothing wrong, it's okay..."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm-"

Marinette approached Sabrina and knelt down on one knee. Her hands went to Sabrina's shoulders, gently rubbing small circles on them. "Hey...hey, Sabrina, look at me."

"I messed up, I'm sorry, it's my fault, I ruined everything-"

"You didn't mess up. You didn't ruin anything, it's fine..." Marinette said, in a gentle but firm voice. "C'mon, Sabrina, look at me..."

It had been another Akuma. It always was. Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Honeycomb were all there. Most of the battle was a fading blur – they were lucky, it had been one of their least-eventful battles. Pretty much the worst that had happened was Green Thumb over-running Paris with creeping ivy and flowers that made a lot of peoples' allergies act up. No one had been ensnared, no ribbons were strangling anyone, people weren't fading after losing time...

But the flowers were thick, and they were tall. And they were many.

And Honeycomb had gotten her feet tangled in some of their stems mid-run.

She and Chat Noir had been running in together, intending to serve as distractions while Ladybug tried to figure out what to do with a rubber spatula, of all things. And when Honeycomb had fallen, she'd frantically reached for Chat to try and save herself, and it ended with _both_ of them going down.

Neither of them had been _hurt_ of course, and Ladybug figured out a plan right then and there but...

But Honeycomb hadn't joined in the post-battle celebration, and had instead covered her face, sobbing and launching into a thousand apologies.

Ladybug had volunteered to take Honeycomb back home, and her partner didn't protest one bit. She'd told Honeycomb to follow her back, and as the girls left she could vaguely hear Chat Noir yelling for Honeycomb to feel better.

"Sabrina, you did _not_ mess up," Marinette repeated.

Sabrina lifted her face, cheeks tear-stained and eyes red. Marinette tried not to wince at her runny nose. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I kn-know you probably don't want H-Honeycomb around anymore-"

"Hey, hey!" Marinette gasped. "Why would I want that?"

"Wh-When – wh-when Chloé and I were playing-"

"That was _Chloé,"_ Marinette reminded her. She knew what Sabrina was talking about. The thing that caused her to become Vanisher.

Although really, Marinette realized with an angry, sympathetic twang in her gut, it could also have been any number of times.

"That was Chloé," she repeated. "This is me and Chat. And we're not her. Okay?"

Sabrina sniffled wetly, blinking in confusion. "But I-"

"Sabrina." Marinette's hands went to either side of the girl's face, thumbs wiping away the tears that still lingered in her eyes. "Look at me. You didn't mess up. Okay? Our job is never going to go perfectly. You remember what I was like at first?" At Sabrina's nod, she added "And do you know how often Chat and I have had to improvise, or change plans? Nothing goes perfectly – you did not mess up, you did _fine._ You did _great._ Ever since you started, you've helped us out _so_ much – and _we like you,"_ she added hastily, feeling it was another thing Sabrina needed to hear.

"Sabrina, Honeycomb is our friend, and you're my friend too. And after we meet up with Alya for shopping, she'll be your friend too, okay?"

A timid nod.

"And we are _never. Ever._ Going to be like Chloé. We're never going to say you don't exist, we're never going to insult you or yell at you, and we'll _never_ say we don't want Honeycomb around anymore."

Sabrina didn't look like she fully believed Marinette, but she at least had stopped crying.

Hanii took her cue and floated over to nuzzle her cheek, where Marinette wasn't touching.

"You're my teammate and friend, and I promise, I'm never going to treat you like Chloe did. Okay?"

Another nod.

There was a knock on the trap door, and Hanii and Tikki hid just in time for Sabine to poke her head up. "Girls, sorry to interrupt your studying but- Sabrina? Sabrina, dear, what's wrong?" Sabine rose further into the room, brows lowered in horrified concern. Sabrina could see she was holding a tray in one hand – it held a box of macarons, and two glasses of milk.

One for Marinette, and one for her.

That sight made Sabrina's heart constrict, and she began crying all over again.

"Oh, sweetheart-"

"Mom, sorry, can we be alone a bit more? Sabrina's uhm...Sabrina's okay, she just..." Marinette faltered as she fought to think of a good excuse.

But Sabrina spoke up instead. "I'm o-okay, Mrs Cheng. I w-was j-just remembering something s-sad...I'll b-be okay." As she spoke the last part, she briefly made eye-contact with Marinette, looking sure about it, even with the new tears.

" _I'll be okay."_


End file.
